This blog is an exploration of principled problem solving which is an initiative at Guilford College encouraging a focus of people's abilities and experiences toward solving real-world problems under the guidance of the college’s core values of community, diversity, equality, excellence, integrity, justice and stewardship.

November 2011

11/29/2011

My project was holding a book reading for Nothing About Us Without Us by James I. Chalton. I chose that particular book because it mirrored some of the PPS readings. For example, Nothing About Us Without Us is similar to Half The Sky written by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Both books give examples of oppression and empowerment at the same time. For the book reading, I invited my fellow PPS classmates along with my many friends on campus, and I even posted an advertisement in the Guilford Buzz. Although many students did not have time to read a whole book in the middle of the semester, I still think it was effective. This reading is very important to me because the staff that did come will likely be at Guilford for a longer period of time than the students anyway. I believe I offered a different perspective to the staff who aid students with disabilities the most. The fact that the people who attended will be here for longer than 4 years is very helpful to my ultimate goal of having disability being seen differently on Guilford’s campus! Now they will be able to help future students by suggesting the book as something to read. Guilford has a relatively large percentage of people with different disabilities. The percentages will likely stay the same or grow; in other words, it will not decrease. With such a large population on campus, the people on Guilford’s campus need to be more aware and empowering of people with disabilities. I do know that some professors on campus only make their classes accessible because they are required to under the ADA (Americans with Disability Act). That is all well and good, but Guilford has core values like equality and diversity, which in my view calls Guilford to do more than what the laws require. Guilford should be one of the most accepting places. Before I had my reputation at Guilford for being intelligent, professors were surprised with my academic performance. Professors should not have judged me to begin with and the book Nothing About Us Without Us can help people to understand why this should not happen. Furthermore, the book provides people with more knowledge on people with disabilities and creates a greater awareness that is needed around campus. With this small step a lot can change.

Often I feel that I have been condemned to Sisyphus’ eternal punishment of pushing a boulder up a mountain only to have it fall back down when I reach the top. Yet time and time again I push the boulder back up the mountain. Sometimes my efforts seem useless and cause unending frustration, but I want to reach the top of the mountain and I have the drive and self-motivation to do so.

I wonder why others don’t have the same commitment. Some people are okay with being average and just going through the motions of life. What is it that will make them start living and become all that they can be?

One of my driving forces is my strong sense of self-motivation. I want to be the best version of myself and I’m not content with simply breezing through life. I look around and see people with aspirations and goals, but I also see people who simply do things because they are told to. What is the difference between the two? One group has found passion and motivation in their life.

What is it that you are passionate about? What motivates you?

Guilford College students have many opportunities and resources available to them. The student that seeks these resources out will benefit greatly compared to the student who sits in his or her room waiting for an opportunity to come to him or her. True, it may be hard work to make it to the top, but those hardships shape who you are as a person.

Life is full of opportunities, but if we don’t seize at least a few, life will pass us up and all that weight we have been carrying will come crashing down on us. We are not condemned to Sisyphus’ punishment; we can and will reach the top with passions and motivations. We must seek out opportunities and utilize our resources effectively.

11/22/2011

After a slew of unreturned phone calls and e-mails I found myself in the conferences and events office figuring out the details for an event planned only a couple short weeks away. The process of planning this alternative health care information session began over a month before and attempting to contact the required checks and balances in the planning process had failed miserably. And so I, determined to get an answer, headed down to the office of conferences and events, no one was there. I waited, twiddling my thumbs for over 30 minutes before striking up a conversation with a maintenance employee. After hearing my complaints he offered to drive me around to try to find my contact person, whom we successfully located setting up for another event. I returned to the office to wait for another 30 thumb twiddling minutes before she could return and approve the space and time of my event. The actual meeting took less than 15 minutes after an hour and a half long waiting game. But I do not blame the amicable and helpful staff at the conference and events department I blame the problems within the system.

Guilford has a system of checks and balances for planning events, reserving a place and time, reviewing legalities, and discussing the purpose of the event. This system is understandable it helps assure organization and cover liability issues, but it is broken. The frustration of feeling ignored by the needed faculty was discouraging and would have completely deterred me from pursuing the event if this project was not required for class credit. This broken system probably deters many hopeful students attempting to create events, therefore muting Guilford’s creativity and community. Events are and should be hard work but Guilford’s policies should not add to the workload or hinder progress. There is a potential for the existing policies or checks and balances to run smoothly. A larger conference and events staff is essential to assure that students can be assisted when needed and that Guilford’s community can grow by encouraging a fun and engaging variety of events. It’s important for student passions and knowledge to be shared and hosting events are great ways for students to be heard, creating systems in support of student events could promote more student involvement on campus. Guilford’s conference and events department should shift focus from enforcing limitations to encouraging possibilities.